lauralue9

We will be staying in St. Germain des Pres on Rue Clement just off Blvd. St. Germain. As our hotel will charge us 50E for a breakfast for 4, looking for good full breakfast suggestions, any equivalent French diners? Someone told us about a wonderful croissant & coffee place (Pauls??) but can't remember. Also, looking for inexpensive, perhaps prix fixe neighborhood restaurants. We would like to stay around 100E (25E pp) for dinner alone, will try ethnic food. We speak a little French and would like some non-touristy places, no Jules Verne, La Tour or Alain Ducasse, thanks! We figure we will be eating lunch in one of the many museums we plan to visit or local markets. I know the French usually eat dinner at 8, but my teenagers will be starving by then. Any suggestions for inexpensive tea places that will hold them from late afternoon until dinner. We are budgeting $250/day for food (3 meals/day/4 people) - think this will be OK?

Beatchick

Boulangeries Paul is a bakery chain that is very good and there are many all over Paris; by my reckoning about 23. Two other good ones are Brioche Dorée (right across the street from you) and La Croissanterie. The closest Paul to you is around the corner on rue de Seine, across bd St-Germain and almost to rue de Buci (not far, really).

Below is a listing of boulangeries in the 6th.
BRIOCHE DORÉE 153 r. Rennes
POILÂNE 8 r. Cherche-Midi
BRIOCHE DORÉE 5 r. Clément
LA CROISSANTERIE 168 bd. Saint-Germain
BOULANGERIES PAUL 14 bd. St-Michel
GÉRARD MULOT 76 r. du Seine
BOULANGERIES PAUL 77 r. du Seine
GÉRARD MULOT 2 r. Labineau

I have an inexpensive restaurant list if you'd like a copy. Just e-mail me. Pretty much everything is under 30€. It also lists tea salons (not far from you at 21 r. Bonaparte is a Ladurée, when I was there last they were very nice to me). I can also send you a crêpe vendors list which helps out cheaply with hungry teenagers.

Enjoy Paris!!

Underhill

An excellent place for breakfast, although not a full American-type one, would be Le Pain Quotidien, which has branches in various Paris neighborhoods. You can get a filling meal, including a soft-boiled egg, croissants, assorted breads, delicious jams and spreads, fresh OJ, and coffee/tea/chocolate for around 8 Euros per person. Our favorite location is the one in the 1st, but there are others on the Left Bank.

We also like Paul's very much, but be warned that the wait can be lengthy in the morning.

For dinner you might try the Relais d'Entrecôte, which features steak and only steak. It would be, I think, within walking distance of your hotel. A place that we always go to when staying in the area is Vesuvius, opposite the church of St-Germain-des-Prés. It's a place teenagers would like: lively and bustling, lots of local students. You can get Italian food (very good pizza and pasta) and French food at quite moderate prices; the French prix fixe menus are a very good buy.

If you like mussels and frites, head for Léon de Bruxelles, right on the Blvd. St-Germain, about a block down from the church.

Scarlett

Oh Lordy, you will be right by rue de Buci! Pastry shops galore! then on Blvd St Germain is Cafe Aux Deux Magots, and Cafe Flore and numerous small cafes on rue Jacob and rue Sts Peres.
All of them will have wonderful coffee and croissants, I have never had a bad croissant in Paris. You can get the best eggs in Paris.
Most restaurants in the neighborhood will have their Prix Fixe menus in the windows.
We rarely eat "ethnic" in Paris, but the Latin Quarter would be a good place to look for less expensive food of that sort.
I second Leone on Blvd St Germaine, mmm, mussels any way you like them.
There is a small place on rue Benoit called Petit Benoit, small neighborhood place..very reasonable prices. Great atmosphere. Allard on rue St Andre des Arts is great.
Lunch at the D'Orsay is wonderful, but do not think it will be inexpensive, but it is well worth the price.
Cafe Marly by the Louvre is expensive but good for a tea/coffee break and some cake.
On the Ille St Louis is a lovely Salon de The..
You will have no trouble finding small not expensive places to eat.
Have a wonderful time~

klondike

Agree with others re: Leon de Bruxelles and Paul's. We have enjoyed the Brasserie La Vagenende on Blvd St Germain (just around the corner and menu available to peruse on the internet). Our favorite "restaurant row" street, however is between r. Buci and Blvd St. Germain. It is rue Gregoire de Tours and has 1) the great piano bar Le Be Bop with wonderful food and live music each evening, 2) the most authentic crepes I've had in Paris are there at La Bonne crepe and there is also a very affordable small chinese restaurant. We did NOT enjoy La Citrouille, which was very crowded, cheap but VERY ordinary food at 15 euros prix fixe. Still want to try the Italian one, which looks/smells yummy and the Savoyard restaurant which has raclette and fondues.

We were there in September and we're dying to get back! Have a wonderful time!

Keren

Hi lauralue9,
Check out le Bistro d'Opio, 9 rue Guisarde, 6th, I had a wonderful lunch there (great Provencal food, good ambience, nice service), their evening menus look like they're in your price range.
http://www.bistrot-opio.com/index_en.html

For some delicious Indian food, I took StCirq's advice and tried Punjab, in the 7th, at the corner of Place Ecole Militaire and Avenue Tourville. They have a lunch menu for 9.90 Euros, I guess their dinner menu isn't expensive.

ira

Hi Laura,

Right across the BldSt Germain from the Eglise St Germain des Pres is an Italian restaurant with a real wood burning pizza oven - Vesuvio.

Rue Guisard (near Metro Mabillon) and the streets leading into it are lined with nice, inexpensive restaurants.

You can get pastries, fixings for sandwiches, etc at Le Marche St Germain on Rue Mabillon.

You get 20% off if you make reservaations at the Brasseries Flo on the internet.
http://www.flobrasseries.com/resa/en/

mamc

Great suggestions, all. We also enjoyed Ferme de St.Germaine on the Rue Dragon, just a few doors south of Blvd. St. Germaine. Our favorite place for breakfast is Cafe Bonaparte across from the Iglise St. Germaine des Pres but it is not a bargain. You are lucky to be staying in an area with wonderful bakeries and cafes.

Scarlett

Yes, do keep in mind that these bakeries come in handy on that walk back to the hotel in the afternoon, for a little sweet pick me up

Gretchen

GO to Le Piano Muet on rue Mouffetard for an incredibly reasonable and delicious dinner. Your budget is quite doable. Find a cafe for breakfast for coffee and croissants, bread (5E each). Lunch at cafes or small places=10-15E. Dinner=25-30E. Remember that the service is compris as are the tax. The price you see is what you get. We just returned from a week with our adult children--8 people in all, and your budget is approximately what we did--and succeeded (I THINK!!). And with a lot of wine included.
And although I do not usually recommend it, on the rue de Harpe and Huchette, there are really delicious Greek sandwiches, particularly for lunch. Or paninni!!

elaine

beatchick,
do you know any of the right bank locations for Boulangeries Paul?
Specifically the 1st, 2nd, or 8th?

ira

Hi elaine,

You can find their locations at
http://www.voila.fr/PagesJaunes/

elaine

yes, of course, thanks ira

here are locations in the single digit arrondissements for Boulangerie Paul

84 Champs Elysees, 8th
37 rue Tronchet 8th
5 rue Havre 8th
1 rue Pierre Lescot 1st
99 rue de Rivoli, 1st
89 rue St Antoine 4th
70 rue de Rivoli 4th
77 rue Seine 6th
25 Ave Opera 1st
63 rue Montorgueil 2nd

there are also locations in the 12th, 13th, 16th,17th, and 20th

when I searched pages jaunes just now the location at 14 boul St Michel didn't come up for some reason

Beatchick

Hi Ira, that is exactly how I located the different boulangeries and chains was thru Pages Jaunes, but yours is a slightly different website. I just type in pagesjaunes.fr to get there. But the Voila.fr link looks very interesting, lots of other features. Thanks for the tip! Incidentally, it was Elaine who first told me about Pages Jaunes (in her wonderfully detailed Paris file)!

Elaine, for the
<b><u>1st:</u></b>
25 av. Opera
99 r. de Rivoli
1 rue Pierre Lescot/Forum des Halles (which is near the Renaissance Fontaine des Innocentes)
<u><b>2nd:</b></u>
63 r. Montorgueil
<b><u>8th:</u></b>
49 bis av. Franklin D. Roosevelt
84 av. des Champs-Elys&eacute;es
37 r. Tronchet

Beatchick

Elaine, it appears we cross-posted! I think you also have to type in just Paul to get other listings. I'm not sure what the difference is, maybe some are franchises and some are privately owned?

lauralue9

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. How about kids ordering Coca-Cola and other soft drinks? Heard these can be VERY expensive, this may seem stupid, but can you drink the tap water in France? I went to Patricia Wells' website and downloaded some suggestions in our price range, anyone know anything about these:

ZE KITCHEN GALERIE
4, rue des Grands Augustins
Paris 6
CHEZ MARCEL
7, rue Stanislas
Paris 6
AU BON ACCUEIL
14, Rue de Monttessuy
Paris 7.
AU GOURMAND
22 Rue du Vaugirard
Paris 6.
WADJA
10, Rue de la Grande-Chaumi&egrave;re
Paris 6.
These are suggestions from other sites I have visited, any info would be helpful:
Claude Sainlouis
Address: 27 rue du Dragon, Paris, France
Phone: 01-45-48-29-68 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 17 to EUR22
Chez Ma&icirc;tre Paul
Address: 12 rue Monsieur-le-Prince, Paris, France
Phone: 01-43-54-74-59 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 17 to EUR30
L'&Eacute;pi Dupin Address: 11 rue Dupin, Paris, FrancePhone: 01-42-22-64-56 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 17 to EUR30
Caf&eacute; de la Mairie
Address: 8 pl. St-Sulpice, Paris, France
Phone: 01-43-26-67-82 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 11 to EUR22
Caf&eacute; de Flore
Address: 172 bd. St-Germain, Paris, France
Phone: 01-45-48-55-26 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 11 to EUR22
Brasserie Lipp
Address: 151 bd. St-Germain, Paris, France
Phone: 01-45-48-53-91 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 11 to EUR22
Alcazar
Address: 62 rue Mazarine, Paris, France
Phone: 01-53-10-19-99 Location: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;s Price range: EUR 17 to EUR30
2. Restaurant des Beaux-Arts
11 rue Bonaparte, Paris 6th - m&eacute;tro: St-Germain-des-Pr&eacute;sPh: 01.43.26.92.64
5. Osteria del Passe-partout
20 rue de l'Hirondelle, Paris 6th - m&eacute;tro: St-MichelPh: 01.46.34.14.54
10. Orestias
4 rue Gr&eacute;goire-de-Tours, Paris 6th - m&eacute;tro: Od&eacute;onPh: 01.43.54.62.01

beachbum

Sorry I can't help with any of the restaurants on your list.

Paul's is on the corner of rue Buci and rue de Seine. A month or so ago, you could get a full continental breakfast (coffee, juice, croissant, half-baguette, butter &amp; jam) for around euro 6.50. That was really more than my wife wanted, so she would order coffee, juice, and croissant for around euro 4.50; we'd split the half-baguette and both be fine.

With four of you, you should be able to get by on 25-30 euro for breakfast, and 35-50 for lunch, which with your budget at today's exchange rates, leaves up to 125 euro for dinner. You'll be fine. I'd advise to plan some days for 30-35 prix fixe dinners. You can find some great meals in that price range.

beachbum

Oops..... Did the math wrong; up to 135 euro for dinner. Even better!

mamc

I can comment on a few of the restaurants on your list. On our recent trip to Paris, we ate at Ze Kitchen Gallerie and L'Epi Dupin. Ze Kitchen Gallerie was great - very innovative fusion cuisine. Unless your teenagers are willing to experiment, this might not be the place for you. L'Epi Dupin is one of our favorites, delicious but innovative French cuisine and I always have the best dessert of my trip there. Brasserie Lipp would be a good bet. Pretty standard French food and something for every taste. Cafe Flore is filled with tourists and, I think, expensive for what you get. If you are interested in an omelet or a salad, it is a good place to people watch. Otherwise, you will pay a lot for a rather ordinary meal.

Underhill

lauralue,

When did the Restaurant des Beaux Arts re-open? That's very good news--the last time we looked it had closed, and we really liked the place.